Man Gets 7 Life Sentences for Horrific 3-Week Assault

Nicholas John Crilley is going away for a long time
By Neal Colgrass,  Newser Staff
Posted May 3, 2020 5:25 PM CDT
Man Sentenced Over Horrific 3-Week Assault
Nicholas Crilley.   (YouTube)

What Nicholas John Crilley did is hard to read about—so if you have any doubt, please stop here. The Australian was sentenced Friday to seven life sentences for torturing, raping, beating, and burning a woman over three unimaginable weeks, 7 News reports. The 34-year-old's attacks left her so badly injured that paramedics thought she was dead until she murmured a sound. Her skin was purple, she stank with decay, and her body was 46% burned from chemicals and boiling water. Her wounds were so infected that maggots lived in them. "Her eyes were swollen shut, lips drawn back and discoloured, and teeth were exposed," Judge Anthony Rafter said at the sentencing. "The left side of her face was missing all of the skin."

Crilley's motives are barely explained, but Australia's News Network reports that he was delusional on methylamphetamine and thought she'd been part of a drive-by attempt on his life. The court also heard that he "grinned and laughed" while assaulting her and sent photos of her injuries to friends on Facebook. Finally he called emergency services himself before leading police on a chase using stolen cars. As for his 22-year-old victim, she was put in an induced coma and needed eight weeks of hospitalization to recover and re-learn how to walk. "I have been disfigured both mentally and physically," she said. "It is something I would not wish on my worst enemies." Crilley was charged with 62 crimes, including grievous bodily harm and sexual assault. His longest of the concurrent sentences is 25 years. (More torture stories.)

Get the news faster.
Tap to install our app.
X
Install the Newser News app
in two easy steps:
1. Tap in your navigation bar.
2. Tap to Add to Home Screen.

X